Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 162

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Player of the Ruined World – Episode 162
Sato then spoke with an embarrassed expression.
“It feels like… you’ve stripped away all my defenses. You know everything I was trying to be careful about.”
“There are subtle differences from the game. If I encounter something I don’t know, I’ll ask you.”
“I’ll trust only you, Baek Doyun.”
“You can’t rely on me alone. You need to take action on the front lines as well, Sato.”
“Just give me your orders. I’ll follow them.”
At Sato’s attitude, I slowly nodded and asked.
“By the way, do you know where the villages of the 2nd and 1st ranked factions are located?”
“The 1st ranked faction is in Tokyo. The 2nd ranked faction is in Kyoto.”
“You all seem to dislike Kyoto. Could you tell me the specific reason?”
“They desire war. They want to reclaim their past glory.”
Past glory?
Park Sangha explained this to me.
“Kyoto was the capital of Japan for 1,100 years.”
“Ah…”
Thanks to Park Sangha’s explanation, I understood immediately.
Sato quietly nodded instead of objecting.
“Sato, are the factions that declared war on us perhaps closely connected with Kyoto?”
“I don’t know that much.”
“Don’t you have scouts?”
“Scouts?”
Sato’s innocent expression.
How did someone like this even climb to 3rd rank?
In the case of Giant Punisher, the atmosphere varied greatly from server to server.
Some servers featured giant monster hunting as their main content, while others primarily enjoyed territorial warfare.
Japan was the latter case.
In such cases, the 1st ranked faction on the server makes the rules, and all other factions are guided to follow them.
Most factions, subdued by force, followed the 1st ranked faction’s orders in exchange for protection from giant monsters.
But the characteristic of such servers was clear.
While some servers eventually found peace, most servers faced destruction.
Because there was no eternal 1st place, no eternal glory.
This was what I suspected.
‘There might be a master of the board.’
The factions that declared war on us could be moving under the orders of a higher-ranked faction.
If the 2nd ranked faction, Tanaka Kaito’s forces, had instigated the declaration of war…
‘I need to nip it in the bud.’
For the future, it would be better to eliminate them before they become a hindrance.
“Let’s establish our position around here.”
Sato pointed to a large rocky hill visible directly ahead.
Park Sangha brought the vehicle to a halt, and the second vehicle following behind also came to a stop.
Elder Chulmin and Park Sanghun descended from the second vehicle.
“The terrain here is too rough, isn’t it? This isn’t ground where vehicles can move.”
Park Sanghun spoke while rubbing his lower abdomen as if his stomach felt unsettled.
Park Sangha said nothing and climbed the rocky hill, then retrieved a telescope from his inventory and gazed toward the enemy camp.
“Come look. There are quite a lot of them.”
I could make out massive weapons standing in rows in the distance and numerous tents.
“How many do you think there are?”
“Fighters… roughly three thousand? They seem to have formed an alliance. There are four flags, all different colors.”
It appeared that the 24th, 29th, 50th, and 79th ranked factions had joined hands and declared war.
“Whether they unite or not doesn’t matter. Can you determine the number of giant weapons from here?”
“Just a moment.”
Park Sangha examined through the telescope for a while, then spoke with uncertainty in his voice.
“From what I can see right now… approximately eighteen units.”
“That’s hardly a threat.”
“That’s few?”
“For four factions combining their forces, it’s quite few. The 1st Ranked Faction must have at least a hundred or more.”
“It looks like we could snipe from here. Should we finish this quickly?”
At Park Sangha’s question, I looked toward Elder Chulmin and Hong Yeonhui.
Since Elder Chulmin and Hong Yeonhui possessed sniper skills, their opinions were crucial.
Elder Chulmin and Hong Yeonhui responded through action rather than words.
Hong Yeonhui lay prone on the ground and shouldered her rifle.
“If I use all my skills, I think I can reach it.”
“Do you see a tent that looks like it could have a Lord? Probably the… ”
“The largest tent?”
“Yeah.”
For four Lords to hold a conference, they would naturally be in the largest tent.
Not long after, Hong Yeonhui pointed to a specific location.
“There.”
“Describe the terrain. I can’t see it.”
“Look for yourself.”
After adjusting the position with the telescope, she told me to look directly.
When I checked where Hong Yeonhui had aimed, I could see a tent that was only half-visible behind a massive tree.
Even seeing only half of it, the difference from the other tents was unmistakable.
“Yeon-hee and Elder Chulmin, please wait here with the giant weapons targeted.”
“Got it.”
Elder Chulmin remained motionless, his aim fixed on the giant weapon positioned at the far right.
“Sanghun, Sangha, and Sato, follow me.”
The Park brothers obediently followed behind me.
However, Sato wore an expression of unease for some reason.
If the conversation doesn’t proceed smoothly, I’ll have to kill everyone there.
Sato understood this, which is why he trembled with tension and fear.
“Sato.”
“….”
“Sato?”
“Yes, Baek Doyun.”
“Are you afraid?”
As I tilted my head and asked, Sato’s expression grew troubled.
“There could be a situation where I’d have to kill people, couldn’t there?”
“Yes.”
“Baek Doyun, you don’t feel any hesitation? These are people. It’s different from killing monsters.”
At Sato’s words, my eyes twitched involuntarily.
I folded my arms and asked.
“Where are the people here?”
“…What?”
“In your view, Sato, are they evil or good?”
“That’s….”
“Just think about that. Whether you can truly consider people who want to kill you and your family as human beings.”
“But if they’re people, couldn’t we resolve this through dialogue?”
This man’s heart was far too soft.
That Sato had survived this long was purely a matter of luck.
Of course, Sato’s skill in smoothly operating the colossal weapon in the early days of the Giant Punisher couldn’t be ignored.
And gathering people of like mind to build a faction could also be considered a skill.
But the qualities of a leader reveal themselves when facing an adversary with hostile intent.
A person willing to stain their hands with blood for their family, for their companions.
A person whose spirit doesn’t break through that process and whose will doesn’t bend.
That’s where true leadership emerges.
I looked at Sato directly and spoke seriously.
“Sato, what do you think is the reason I’m entering the enemy camp to attempt dialogue?”
“Because you don’t want war…?”
“No. It’s basic conscience, and consideration.”
“…!”
“Recognizing when someone extends their hand, understanding an opportunity when you see one—that requires intelligence too.”
“….”
“You can’t walk the same path with someone whose direction differs from yours.”
Just look at the companions who cleared No Way Home.
What if the Hunting Dog Federation members hadn’t trusted and followed me?
What if they’d opposed my opinions at every turn?
I wouldn’t have stayed with them, and we would never have shared our pain together.
It’s not about becoming close and then trusting.
You grow close to those you trust.
Of course, some would say this makes no sense.
How can you trust someone you’ve just met?
I couldn’t do it either, which is why I lived my entire life alone.
But when your life hangs in the balance like this, things change.
The Hunting Dog Federation members proved themselves through action, and whenever they disagreed, we compromised within reason and pushed forward together.
If that hadn’t happened….
‘We’d still be stuck in No Way Home.’
Because everyone did their best in their own position and moved with one heart and one mind, we cleared the game faster than anyone else.
I once discussed this with Park Sangil and Park Sangha.
At the time, Park Sangil told me this.
-It’s only possible because it’s you.
It was possible because I was the one leading everyone from the front.
Back then, I didn’t fully understand what those words meant, but now I think I do.
Through Sato, I’ve come to realize what determination a leader must have when guiding a group, and the path I’ve walked.
“Let’s move.”

* * *
When we reached the enemy camp after pushing through the brush, I spoke to Park Sanghun.
“Sanghun and Sangha, please wait here.”
“Wait here?”
As Park Sanghun questioned this, I looked toward the enemy camp and explained.
“There are more fighters than I expected. If they all chant spells simultaneously, I won’t be able to save everyone.”
“….”
“Protecting Sato seems to be my limit.”
Park Sanghun nodded obediently and spoke.
“Call me when it’s time to attack. I’ll let Elder Chulmin and Yeon-hee know too.”
“Right. You’ll need to help distract the fighters’ attention as well.”
“Okay.”
After briefly outlining how we’d move if an emergency arose, Sato and I walked out of the brush.
The sentries startled and immediately gripped their weapons.
“Who are you!?”
Ah, the translation function is acting up again.
This will be a problem if it keeps happening every time I meet someone new.
I smacked my lips, and Sato beside me spoke instead.
“Tell Road. Sato has come.”
“Sato?”
The sentries murmured among themselves, then thoroughly searched my entire body to see if I had any hidden weapons.
Then they suddenly snapped handcuffs onto my wrists.
“Is this how you treat your guests here?”
They couldn’t understand my words, so they narrowed their eyes and glared at me.
The Sentries immediately struck my abdomen with the clubs they were holding.
Crack!
Of course, it was the club that broke, not me.
“What?!”
They hit me without warning and were even more flustered than I was.
I stared intently at the Sentry’s face and spoke.
“I’ve memorized your face.”
“…!”
“We’ll meet again.”
As I spoke with a smirk, the Sentry shouted something and dragged me by the handcuffs.
I followed obediently while taking in the Enemy Camp with my eyes.
Their armament status was… sparse.
It had been several months since I started the Giant Punisher, yet the progress was moving far too slowly.
“Are you alright?”
Sato, who was following behind, asked, so I glanced back slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“Your abdomen. They hit you hard enough to break the club… I’ll apologize on their behalf.”
“There’s no need for you to apologize, Sato.”
“They’re Japanese like me, but those violent types really aren’t my cup of tea either.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s the same in any country.”
“….”
“It’s not that a specific nation is bad. Every place just has its share of trash.”
You learn this when you play war games.
Being Korean doesn’t automatically make you good, and being a player from another nation doesn’t make you bad.
Rather, Koreans were better at the playstyle of sowing discord and playing deceitfully.
Should I call it political maneuvering?
Anyway, as I moved while observing the Enemy Camp, the massive tent I’d seen through the telescope earlier came into view.
The Sentry guarding the tent spoke with the Sentry who’d brought me, then left a message to wait a moment before entering.
“Sato?!”
A booming voice echoed from inside the tent.
The enemy commanders who were in the middle of a meeting seemed shocked by the news that Sato had come directly.
Since they’d obviously tell me to come in anyway, I strode toward the tent entrance.
“Wait, I told you to wait!”
Then the Sentry who’d brought me hurriedly grabbed my arm.
It was impossible for them to overpower me through force.
As I dragged the Sentry into the tent, I could make out four men gathered around a round table.
They stared at me with bewildered expressions.
“…Are you Sato?”
Ugh… this damn useless translation function.
This is a serious situation, but still….
“Hey, you villains—if you want to talk, activate the translation function first.”
As I spoke matter-of-factly, a System window materialized before their eyes.
The characters were identical to the System Message I’d seen when I first met Sato.
Once they accepted, the words finally came through clearly.
“We need to use the translation function? This person isn’t Japanese?”
“No, he was born Korean.”
I answered flatly, and the man seated at the head of the table narrowed his eyes and asked.
“How is a Korean here?”
“I naturalized as Japanese.”
There was no need to reveal the truth.
I yawned widely and spoke casually.
“If you naturalized, speak Japanese! You made us spend 1,000 Tar just to activate the translation function!”
“Tar?”
Right, the currency of the Giant Punisher isn’t Points—it’s Tar.
I still can’t get used to it.
“Anyway, whose orders did you follow to declare war?”
As I looked at the four Lords, the one seated near the entrance furrowed his brow and slammed his palm on the table.
“How arrogant! Where are your manners!”
“…What?”
“Do you know who this person is!”
“I’m being declared war on—do I really need to know that?”
“This is Aizawa Taka, ranked 24th among the Greater Japanese Empire’s factions….”
“Wow… did you all catch some kind of mental illness together?”
“What?”
“You’re talking about the Greater Japanese Empire. Weren’t you all living in the 21st century too?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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